Maxwell's First Elementary School Party - Winter Party 2016

The room mom's at Maxwell's school are responsible for putting on the 3 class parties each year (winter, valentine's day, and end of year).  The entire grade does the exact same thing in each classroom so you end up having a bunch of room moms to help put the party together.  The other co-room mom in Maxwell's class also has another daughter at the school so she asked if I would be okay if after about 20 minutes she left and went to the other classroom.  I figured that the teacher would also be in there so it would be fine.  EXCEPT something happened (I never heard what) and Maxwell's teacher wasn't in the classroom at all the whole party until the very end.  So it was just me.  There were other parents in there but they just stood around and watched (so annoying).  

So, I did my best to pretty much run this party on my own and wrangle these 20 kindergartners.  It was a little hectic at times but at the end of the day, I think all the kids had fun and that's all that matters.

The party had to be winter themed.  NOTHING could be tied to Christmas due to school rules.

Snowball relay

Fishing for candy canes

For the craft they decorated a paper hat and then put snowballs on it

Class picture with Mrs. Garza

Maxwell and his girlfriend, Brooklyn.  These two LOVE each other.  They crack me up (she's so tall!)  He calls her Brookie and she calls him Maxie.  He tells me that at recess they just run around giving each other hugs.  This relationship has definitely been spurred on by Brooklyn.  GIRLS!!!!

Oh look - Christmas presents are arriving.  I love being able to shop online from your couch!

A picture from our neighborhood ladies' ornament exchange party

Maxwell's Kindermusik class

Playing his Glockenspiel

Maxwell's last day of Preschool

Cute boy is ready for summer to be here

Look at that head of sweet curls.  We were all feeling sick after Memorial Day so I stayed home and got lots of cuddles in with Emmalyn.  

Here's her napping.  I can't get enough of the cuddles.

Hanging around watching TV because when she was awake, she didn't have much energy.

Later that evening she started playing a little.  She "read" me some books.

But a little bit of play and she was tired again.  :(

While it's sad she didn't feel well, it's not often you get a day filled with cuddles from a 2 year old.

Last day of preschool!!

He added in a drawing of himself on the chalkboard (top right hand corner.  Sort of hard to see)

I got to go to the end of school party in Maxwell's class.  I will miss these kids.  It's been fun being able to be a part of reading to them regularly, helping with their class parties, and seeing them at parties.

Clockwise from bottom:

Avis, Joshua V, Preston, Hailey, Joshua K, Maxwell, Jacek

Maxwell says that Joshua (Maxwell also calls him JK) is his "BFF" and says they are going to get married.  I told him they don't have to be married to be friends forever.

Group picture but Max and JK hadn't finished their snacks yet

I'm so sad that Maxwell isn't going to see all his buddies every day anymore.  None of them are going to the same school and live across the city.  :(

Helpful big guy helping clean up after the party

Our favorite - Ms. Cynthia.  We had no idea what a smart decision we made when we chose to be in her class 2 years ago.  Maxwell has thrived and progressed so much.  Maxwell loves learning and being challenged.  She has continued to foster that.  We are so grateful for her!

I couldn't bear to fully cut him off from school so I am going to keep him in school about every 2 weeks 

We wrapped up the day by splashing in rain puddles.

It was a splashing success

3rd week of December 2015

Here's the "smile" I frequently get when taking a picture...

I caught him picking his nose while his class was in the library reading books.  :)  whoops

The kids love ringing the door bell to get daddy to come to the door

She LOVES these animated animals and plays with them all the time.  She pushes all the buttons and keeps them going at the same time.  (Even up until last year, Maxwell was afraid of some of them...not this brave little girl.  She is certainly more bold than her timid brother.)

Dog piling on momma

My kids love watching Frosty the Snowman

Playing at the park

Some of the cute notes that Maxwell is demanding get put up on the fridge.

Notes with some pumpkins

Not my birthday, but still a fun note

Playing with Landen

Max's progress at swimming lessons is going well.  He is doing so well at swimming.

His coach, Coach Katie, thinks wants to move him up to level 7 with the 6 and 7 year olds.  In level 7 he will learn the butterfly stroke and swim the whole length of the pool and lots more!  They won't move him up though so she is going to start having him swim whole length sometimes anyway. 

Landen and Emmalyn

All dressed up for the holiday party at school

They did a book exchange (it went much better this year!)

The "feast"

The ladies in our neighborhood had our first annual ornament exchange.  These girls can get crazy but I'm grateful to live in a neighborhood where there is a large group of friendship.

Max is having fun going to soccer skills class each week.  This was my first time getting to watch him because usually Peter takes him because I'm with Emmalyn in Kindermusik.  It was fun seeing him do more things and improving his skills.  It was hard a little to watch though because the coach is hard on the kids.  He yelled a ton, sometimes acted out of spite (like BOOTING a kid's ball across the field because they weren't doing what they should have been).  He may have been an awesome coach for 17 year olds but for 3 and 4 year olds?  Not so much.  

At one point Maxwell came crying over to me and I had to pep talk him back into it.  Peter never shared how tough the coach was.  It was cause for me to ponder how I felt about the situation.  I don't want people to baby my child but I also don't think I should just stand by and not say something when it appeared that someone wasn't equipped to be leading children.

Max's alphabet 

Writing his numbers until he ran out of room

Maxwell and a snowman

I didn't put out all the Christmas decorations this year, just most of them.  I also have started a new trend of putting holiday pictures on canvas and using those as decorations.  I want to keep doing that each year rather than buy new stuff.

Playing around outside

playing puppy dog

Emmalyn loves the German Shepard Raider that lives across the street.  She always wants to go over and say hello.

We were "elf'd" by one of our neighbors

Homemade popcorn with dad

Maxwell and I went out on a "date" to a Japanese restaurant and he tried using chopsticks for the first time (he didn't like it very much)

It seems like Emmalyn has jumped into the "terrible two's" a little early.  She NEVER leaves her shoes and socks on in the car.  As soon as we are buckled in, off they come.  She cries or whines immediately when she doesn't get her way.  "Stop it" is her favorite thing to say. She hits and throw things when she's mad and overall has lots of attitude right now!